Apparatus for treating the exhaust gases of internal combustion engines



Sept; 13, 1932.

B. GORDON 1,877,523 APPARATUS FOR TREATING THE EXHAUST GASES Filed Feb. 25, 1930 INVENTOR BERN/7R0 Gama/v BY Mp/Q 6M ATTORNEY 0F INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES Patented Sept. 13, 1932 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 3mm GORDON, 01' nw YORK, I. Y.

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This invention relates to apparatus for treating exhaust gases of internal combustion engines. It is well known that internal combustion engines, in which the combustion of hydrocarbons is used as a propelling agent, ob-

noxious gases are disc haust appurtenances. In the case of internal combustion engines, which use line vapor as a propelling agent, it is we known that with the ordinary construction of such engines, their exhaust comprises a mixture of consisting of carbonic acid gas (C(i), carbon monoxide (CO) methane gas and gasoline vapor.

The object of this invention comprises the apparatus to secure the eflicient discharge from the exhaust pipes of so called gasoline engines, carbonic acid gas the conversion of a carbon monoxide into car nic acid gas before entering the atm here, and consuming the methane gas an gasoline vapor before they are discharged into the atmosphere.. The second object of the invention comprises 35 the production of a' secondary combustion and discharging apparatus for gasoline enes. Y In the accompanying drawing Fig. 1 represents a longtudinal section with portions in'fulllines of aisecondag combustion apparatus for treating the e austgases of internal combustion engines, such'as an automobile engine; Fig. 2 shows a section of Fi .-1 on the line' 2, 2; Fig. 3 indicates an enfarged-top'plan view of a detail and Fig. '4 is a'section of Fig. 3 on the line 4, 4. r Referring tothe drawing, the secondary combustionand discharging apparatus comprises the outer barrel having the head 21 40 at its inlet end, and the head 22 has an opening with the outlet nozzle 23. An exhaust pipe 25 having the open end 26,

of a gasoline engine extends through an openbarrel 20. Stay bolts 32 connect the shells of arged from their ex-' entirety by the numeral 52. The electric adjacent but spaced from its outlet end. The head 22 the barrels 20 and 30. The annularspace between-the barrels 20 and and the space between the heads 22 and 31 constitute a mixing chamber. A helical coil 35 is indicated with the inlet end 36 and the outlet end 37. The said inlet end' 36 extends through an o ning 38 in the head 21 and is clam to 0 head 21 by means of the flanges 39. The said coil 35 encircles the exhaust pi 25 within the inner barrel 30. To the end 36 of the coil 35 is connected the check valve 40, and from the latter extends the air supply conduit 41 having the cap 42 at its outer end. Air inlet pi 46 extend from the conduit 41. Stop 000 .47 with the operating handles 48 are secured to the upper ends of the inlet pipes 46.

At the inner end of the outlet nozzle 23 is secured the screen 50, which may be made of copper having a small mesh, or it may be made of a combination of wires of copper, chrome and platinum to function as a catalytic agent. At the other end of the outlet nozzle 23 is secured an electric igniter or incandescent electric burner designated in its 75 igniter comprises a disc 53 of heat and electric refracto material like porcelain, which has formed therein a spiral groove 54, and from the latter extend a plurality of openings 55. A helical coil 56 of wire is inserted in the groove 54. Lead wires 58 and 59 from a source of electric current which extend to the ends of. the coil 56 and pass throu h the shell of the barrel 20. Tubes 60 o porcelain, or other refractory material, surround the lead wires 58 and 59 within the said barre] 20. screen 62 of copper wire of fine mesh is connected to the outlet end of the barrel 20. The space between head 22 and the screen 62 constitutes the combustion chamber 65. A pipe leading from an air compressor not shown. is connected to the stop cocks 47 by the nipples 71.

In operating the apparatus the exhaust gases from the exhaust pipe 25 flow in the direction of the arrows. The stop cocks 47 are opened the requisite amount by means of the handles 48. If a, small amount of air is required only one of the stop cocks 47 is turned to its open position and if a greater volume of air is required to support the combustion in the apparatus two or all the other stop cocks are turned to their open position. Air under pressure is discharged from the outlet end 37 of the coil 35, and said air is heated by the heat transmitted thereto from the hot gases in the exhaust pipe in the barrel 30. The air discharged from the outlet end 37 mixes with the gases in the barrel and the mixture of air and gases flow in the directions of the arrows indicated in said barrel. The air and gases as they are re spectively discharged from the end 37 of the coil and the end 26 of the exhaust pipe 25 strike head 31 and are then reversed in direction and flow in the inner barrel 30 toward the head 21, heating the air in the coil 35. The mixture of gases and air are then again reversed in direction and flow through the mixing chamber 33 and pass through the screen 50 and enter the nozzle 23. The mixture of gases and air then flow through the openings of the igniter 52 and contact with the spiral coil 5a which. is heated by an electric current produced by the lead wires 58 and 59. The mixture flows into the combustion chamber 65. In this chamber the carbon monoxide gas is converted into carbonic acid gas and the remaining portion of the mixture is consumed, the whole flowing through the screen 62 into the atmosphere. The screen 62 prevents outside inflammable gases catching fire. If the screen 50 is made of a mesh with a combination of metallic wires as specified, it functions as a catalytic agent.

Various modifications may be made in the invention and the present exemplification is to be taken as illustrative and not limitative thereof.

Having described my invention What I desire to secure by Letters Patent and claim is:

1. In a combustion apparatus for the treatment of exhaust gases of hydrocarbon engines the combination of an inner barrel, an outer barrel spaced from and encircling the inner barrel, the space between the barrels forming a mixing chamber, the exhaust pipe of a hydrocarbon engine passing through the inlet end of the outer barrel and extending into the inner barrel, 3. head for and adjacent to the outlet end of the outer barrel, a

screen over an opening in said head, ignition 1 means ad acent to said screen and a screen at the outlet end of the outer barrel spaced from the head thereof and forming a combustion chamber.

2. In a combustion apparatus for the treatment of exhaust gases of hydrocarbon engines the combination of an inner barrel, an outer barrel spaced from and encircling the inner barrel, a head at the inlet end of the outer barrel and a head adjacent to its outlet end,

a nozzle for an opening) in the head at the outlet end of the outer arrel, a screen over said opening, the space between thetwo barrels forming a mixing chamber, the exhaust pipe of a hydrocarbon engine extending into the inner barrel, ignition means in said nozzle, a screen at the outlet end of the outer barrel spaced from the head adjacent thereto and forming a combustion chamber and means in the inner barrel to lead heated air into said barrel.

3. In a combustion apparatus for the treatment of exhaust gases of hydrocarbon engines the combination of an inner barrel open at one end, a head at the other end of the inner barrel, an outer barrel spaced from and encircling the inner barrel and extending beyond the ends thereojf; a head at the inlet end of the outer barrel, a head having an opening adjacent to the outlet end of the outer barrel, a nozzle for the opening of the head at the outlet end of the outer barrel and extending outwardly from said head, the exhaust pipe of a hydrocarbon engine extending through the head at the inlet end ofthe outer barrel and extending into the inner bar rel, a screen over the opening in the head adjaeent to the outlet end of the outer barrel, means in the inner barrel to conduct heated air into said inner barrel, an electric igniter connected to the outlet end of said nozzle and a screen spaced from saidburner connected to the outlet end of said outer barrel.

4. In a combustion apparatus for the treatment of exhaust gases of hydrocarbon engines the combination of an inner barrel open at its inlet end, a head at the other end of the inner barrel, an outer barrel spaced from and encircling the inner barrel and extending beyond the ends thereof, a head at the inlet end of the outer barrel, a head having an opening adjacent to the outlet end of the outer barrel, a screen over the'opening in the latter head, the exhaust pipe of a hydrocarbon engine extending through the head at the inlet end of the outer barrel and extending into the inner barrel, a helical coil barrel spaced'from and encircling the inner barrel, a head at the inlet end of the outer barrel, a head having an opening adjacent to the outlet end of the outer barrel, a screen over the opening in the latter head, the exhaust pipe of a hydrocarbon engine extending into the inner barrel, a helical coil extending around the inner barrel with an open end in the inner barrel and its other end extending through an opening in the head at the inlet end of the outer barrel, an air supply conduit connected to said coil at its end extending through the head at theinlet end of the outer barrel, a check valve in said conduit to maintain the direction of the flow of the air in said conduit to said coil, a plurality of inlet pi es extending from said conduit, a stop coo connected to each of said inlet pipes, an igniter adjacent to the screen of the opening of the head adjacent to the'outlet end of the outer barrel and a screen spaced from said igniter and connected to the outlet end of the outer barrel.

Signed at the borough of Manhattan, city of New York, in the county of New York and State of New York, this 21st day of February,

BERNARD GORDON. 

